—Pressrelease—

Molokai-2-Oahu Paddleboard World
Championships Sell Out in 48 Hours
New Event Record

Champions return to defend titles, leading a field of athletes from more than 20 countries.

Honolulu, HI (March 21, 2014) – Organizers of the 18th annual Molokai-2-Oahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O), presented by Kona Longboard Island Lager, today announce that the 2014 race set a new event record, having sold out in 48 hours after online registration opened on March 15. The stand-up (SUP) solo division sold out in less than three hours, further proof of the growth in SUP worldwide. Athletes in both prone (traditional) and SUP from more than 20 countries are set to compete in the 32-mile race from the island of Molokai to Oahu across the infamous Ka’iwi channel, also known as the Molokai Channel. This is the seventh consecutive year the open-ocean endurance paddleboard race has sold out. Race date is set for Sunday July, 27.

All entries will be reviewed and confirmed by the race committee by April 1. Paddlers who were unable to register before the sell-out are encouraged to sign up for the wait list by visiting Molokai2Oahu.com. While some spots may become available due to withdrawals, the size of the race field cannot be expanded due to safety considerations and logistical limitations.

“The sport of paddleboarding continues to gain popularity each year, both in the SUP and prone categories,” said Mike Takahashi, race founder. “This year we saw interest in the solo competition nearly double from years past. The race has truly become the crowning achievement for paddlers around the world and we look forward to growing the event and defining the future of this sport.”

Last year’s champions will return to defend their titles. Australian athletes demonstrated a show of force in 2013, sweeping top honors in the men’s and women’s unlimited SUP and prone races. On a day when the channel worked against paddlers, Travis Grant and Terrene Black gutted it out to win the SUP divisions in their first attempts at crossing the Molokai Channel, finishing in 5 hours, 53 seconds and 5:40:40 respectively. In the prone paddleboard division, Brad Gaul claimed his second consecutive title (5:05:32) followed by Jordan Mercer who took her third consecutive win at the age of 19 (6:10:00).

Stock paddlers in the men’s prone race will once again see a match-up between Australian Zeb Walsh and American Jack Bark. After finishing second to Bark in 2011, Walsh pulled ahead in the final approach to the finish line (5:46:13). Both Travis Baptiste (Men’s SUP stock) and Joanna Bilanciera (Women’s prone stock) will be at the start in July to defend their titles.